St. Paul, Minn.—More than a year after torrential rainfall devastated parts of Dakota, Goodhue and Rice Counties, local soil and water conservation districts (SWCD) are still addressing flood damages. The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) announced today that it has issued an additional $664,778 in flood relief grants to Rice and Dakota Counties.

Flood relief grants will be used to complete grade stabilizations, repair grassed waterways and water and sediment control basins and dams. These projects will repair damaged areas and provide protection to land and property in future flood events.

“Landowners and local communities still have great needs to fix damages caused by last year’s storms,” John Jaschke, BWSR Executive Director said. “In 2012, local governments tackled emergency flood situations and now in 2013, additional projects to restore damages to the region’s rivers and streams are underway.”

The latest round of flood relief grants brings the regional total up to nearly $1.8 million, with individual grants of $779,448 to Dakota County SWCD, $588,281 to Rice County SWCD and $431,956 to Goodhue County SWCD.

• Installation of grade stabilizations, grassed waterways and water and sediment control basins in Rice County. More than 25 projects are underway to address erosion by trapping sediment and runoff from entering waterways.

• Dam repairs in Goodhue County. Following the storms last June, a dam failed on a private property in Cannon Falls, causing more than 2,000 cubic yards of material to erode from the spillway. The storm also caused damage to the landowner’s driveway and property downstream. Dam repair will be completed this summer.

“In addition to what has already been awarded, more repairs are needed in the region,” Jaschke said. “We are seeking federal government funds to address as many needs as we can.”

Because the estimated needs exceed the funds available, recommendations were provided by the MN Recovers Task Force, a team of federal, state and local agencies working together to prioritize and coordinate disaster recovery efforts by its member agencies.

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